Visit Great Yarmouth Festival of Bowls raises hundreds of pounds for charity
Bowls players who competed in the popular four-week Visit Great Yarmouth Festival of Bowls 2025 have helped raise hundreds of pounds for charity.
The UK's biggest outdoor bowls festival is organised by Great Yarmouth Borough Council and the Festival of Bowls Committee and is sponsored by Visit Great Yarmouth. A charity tombola took place throughout the competition, which this year ran from August 24 to September 20, and raised £1,590.
A cheque for the money raised has now been presented to Great Yarmouth Foodbank by members of the bowls committee.
The foodbank was established in 2022 and is a partnership between Great Yarmouth Pathway and the Trussell Trust.
It distributes about 40 parcels every week and last year provided 4,822 packages - more than 35,000 kilos of food. Organisers say they anticipate demand continuing to grow as the cost-of-living crisis continues.
The foodbank is passionate about moving people from short-term crisis via advice and signposting. Many of its clients go on to attend the Pathway Cafe where they continue to be supported and access activities and services.
It has a centre in Admiralty Road and last year opened a warehouse in the town to increase storage capacity. The independent charity also offers a delivery service and relies entirely on donations.
This year, the bowls festival included 12 tournaments for men's singles, pairs, triples and fours, ladies' singles, pairs and triples, under 21s open singles, mixed pairs and triples, over 60s open singles and pairs.
Daniel Candon, Great Yarmouth Borough Council's portfolio holder for Economic Development and Growth, said: ''This year's festival was once again a huge success, with keen competition across all the events.
''We'd like to thank everyone who contributed to the charity fundraising at the festival. The money raised has enabled the generous donation to help people in the community.''
Asa Morrison, chief executive of Visit Great Yarmouth, said: ''The Festival of Bowls is a fantastic celebration of sport. It's great to see this long-standing event not only attract players from across the country but also make a real difference locally by supporting good causes.''
Applications are open now for the 2026 festival and more information is available at www.festivalofbowls.co.uk.
Anyone who would like to sponsor and support the long-standing festival is urged to contact [email protected] to discuss opportunities.
